US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday reiterated that NATO is not seeking conflict with Russia.
This came at a press conference held by Blinken at NATO headquarters in the Belgian capital, Brussels, following the official announcement of Finland's accession to the military alliance.
"NATO does not seek to engage in conflict with Russia, but it is a defensive alliance, and Russia must think before any aggression against the alliance," the US secretary of state said.
He stressed that NATO and the United States "will continue to support Ukraine as long as it continues to defend its independence."
He noted that Ukraine was preparing a "counter-offensive to regain its territory."
In this context, Blinken noted his country's support for diplomatic efforts to achieve "a just peace that respects the Charter of the United Nations and the territorial integrity of Ukraine."